The present invention relates to motion toys and more particularly to a vibration mechanism for motion toy with improved characteristics.
A variety of early toys (e.g., toy dinosaurs, toy angels, toy animals, toy cartoons, etc.) were motionless. Hence, a consumer can only watch and/or fondle it. Nowadays, a wide variety of motion toys are produced by the manufacturers due to the progress of technology and increasing demand of consumers about quality. Conventionally, these motion toys are capable of moving, vibrating, rotating, and/or jumping. They are lovely and lively rather than a still toy. Thus, they are much attractive to the consumers as compared to the motionless toys.
Vibration mechanism for a decorative member (e.g., wing) of a typical motion toy angel is shown in FIG. 1. Following is a detailed description of principles of vibration of the wing. In a lower portion of the toy there are provided a cylindrical transmission cage 10 and an associated decorative member 11 disposed on the transmission cage 10. A seat 12 is provided on a top surface of the transmission cage 10 adjacent an edge thereof. A pair of upright cylindrical rollers 13 are provided in the seat 12. The decorative member 11 is formed of a flexible bundle of plastic optical fibers and is disposed in each of the rollers 13. The rollers 13 are coupled together by means of gears 131 so that a rotation of one roller 13 can cause the other roller 13 to rotate in an opposite direction. Further, a substantially half-looped drive link 14 is extended horizontally from a circumference of one of the rollers 13. An elongated channel 141 is substantially enclosed by the drive link 14. A motor 15 is provided in the transmission cage 10. A shaft 151 is extended upward from the motor 15. An upper end of the shaft 151 is projected above the transmission cage 10. A transmission rod 16 has one end coupled to the upper end of the shaft 151 and the other end formed as an upright cylinder 161. The cylinder 161 is disposed in and defined by the channel 141 of the drive link 14. In response to a rotation of the motor 15, the drive link 14 vibrates as the cylinder 161 of the transmission rod 16 rotates. Accordingly, one roller 13 rotates and thus the other roller 13 rotates too due to gear connection therebetween. In such a manner, the decorative members 11 in the rollers 13 vibrate rhythmically. As a result, a lively, lovely motion of the decorative members 11 is carried out.
However, the vibration mechanism of the well known toy angel suffered from several disadvantages. For example, a stroke of the cylinder 161 of the transmission rod 16 from one end of the channel 141 of the drive link 14 to the other end thereof is relatively long, resulting in a significant loss of output power of the motor 15. Further, a large portion of a color disc 17 is shaded by the drive link 14. As such, a user has a difficulty in observing a change of light at the color disc 17 while the motor 15 is rotating. Furthermore, the decorative member 11, formed of the flexible bundle of plastic optical fibers, has an outer diameter larger than an inner diameter of the roller 13, i.e., the decorative members are packed in the rollers 13. Unfortunately, both the decorative members 11 and the flexible bundle of plastic optical fibers tend to loosen in the rollers 13 after a period of time of use. As a result, a rotation of the rollers 13 cannot cause the same rotation of the decorative members 11. This can compromise the desired lovely, lively, and pleasing motion of the well known toy angel. Thus, it is desirable to provide a motion toy having an advantageous vibration mechanism for carrying out a lovely, lively motion thereof in order to overcome the above drawbacks of the prior art.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved vibration mechanism for a motion toy. By utilizing this, the above drawbacks of the prior art can be overcome. These drawbacks are that a stroke of the cylinder of the transmission rod is too long in the channel of the drive link, a significant output power of the motor is lost, a user has a difficulty in observing a change of light at the color disc while the motor is rotating, and the decorative members tend to loosen in the rollers after a period of time of use.
One object of the present invention is to provide a vibration mechanism for a motion toy. The vibration mechanism is mounted in a lower portion of the motion toy and comprises a hollow, cylindrical frame, a seat disposed on a top surface of the frame adjacent an edge thereof, a pair of upright cylindrical rollers in the seat, two decorative member formed of a flexible bundle of plastic optical fibers and disposed in the rollers, the rollers being coupled together by means of gears so that a rotation of one roller can cause the other roller to rotate in an opposite direction, a drive link extended horizontally from a circumference of one roller, a drive device in the frame, a shaft extended upward from the drive device, the shaft having an upper end projected above the frame, a horizontal rod having one end coupled to the upper end of the shaft, and a transmission rod having one end pivotably coupled to the other end of the horizontal rod and the other end pivotably coupled to an open end of the drive link so that in response to a rotation of the drive device, the transmission rod rotates as the horizontal rod rotates, the drive link vibrates, one roller rotates as the other roller rotates, and the decorative members in the rollers vibrate rhythmically. As an end, a lively, lovely motion of the decorative members is carried out.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a plastic, hollow mounting cylinder in a lower part of each decorative member which is mounted in the mounting cylinder by applying low heat of joining. The mounting cylinder is adapted to snugly fit in the roller. A plurality of equally spaced apart longitudinal ribs are formed on an inner wall of each roller. The ribs are tapered from bottom to top. As such, the decorative members can be fastened in the rollers by tightly urging the ribs of the roller against the mounting cylinders when the decorative members are mounted in the rollers. Hence, a user can install the decorative members in the rollers in an angle. Once installed, the decorative members are fastened in the rollers. As an end, it is very hard to turn the decorative member to another angle.